May 3, 2024

Insights from YodaBot

On a recent call exploring the latest experiments in ServiceSpace AI, Reverend Bonnie Rose shared her insights using YodaBot to engage more deeply in the proces of crafting her interfaith sermons. Rev. Bonnie asked, "Is it cheating to ask my Bot to write a sermon?"

Listen to her full reflection in the video clip here.

May 2, 2024

From Me To We: True Love Is A Process Of Humility by Thich Nhat Hanh

A community of people walking together on a spiritual path has a great deal of strength; its members are able to protect each other, to help each other in every aspect of the practice, and to build the strength of the community.  There are many things that are very difficult for us to do on our own, but when we live together as community, they become easy and natural. We do them without growing tired or making a strenuous effort. The community has a collective energy. Without this energy, the practice of individual transformation is not easy. When we live together in community it becomes a body, and each one of us is a cell in that body. If we are not part of the community body, we will be isolated, hungry, and needy, and we will not have a suitable environment for practice. We can visualize the community body as ... [Read more]

Seed questions for reflection: How do you relate to the notion that community building is the most precious work a monk, nun or layperson can do? Can you share a personal story of a time you were able to appreciate the insight and vision of the collective body of the community? What helps you build awareness that you are a cell in the community body?

Apr 29, 2024

Dancing with the Enemy

"I wonder if you all will find the courage to step out onto the dance floor and to dance with those who are our enemies," says Rev. Chaz Howard, as he invites us to look beyond our differences and tap into a space of being human. A soulful presence, the youngest ever chaplain of an Ivy League university narrates the heart-warming experience of his students from different religious settings coming together in service, and how, 20 years later, one of them is still willing to give that magic of dancing a try in today's times. [Read more ...]

Apr 27, 2024

A Celebration + Smile Cards

A couple friends of ServiceSpace recently shared news of their joyful wedding celebration. During the reception, the service-hearted couple offered their loved ones Smile Cards with the inspiring intention to "spread the gift that keeps on giving".

Apr 26, 2024

Luminous Darkness: A Journey Through Suffering

Mystic-poet Lucy Grace shares her profound insights around human suffering and its transformative potential. Recalling a pivotal insight at school, the day after a frightening encounter with a gang at the age of eight, she describes, "I looked at my thumb and I said to myself, 'Lucy, don't worry, it's really hard now, but this thumb is part of your future. This thumb exists on the adult that you are gonna be when you make your life better for yourself.' And so I held that thumb and I felt like, here's a piece of my life when it's good. It's not good now, but it will be. I used to hold my thumb often." From that childhood insight, she delivers a strong, broad message: suffering is a part of our existence that has the power to 'break us open', revealing the 'light of existence'. This isn't something we own, but something we channel while grappling with our own sorrows. Discomfort, it turns out, can be a catalyst for a deeper opening of our hearts. [Read more ...]

RSVP here for the Awakin Call with Lucy on April 27.

Apr 23, 2024

Wilder Humber: Restoring Coastal Ecosystems

Pollution and human influences have caused significant coastal degradation along the Humber, a tidal estuary in northeastern England. "Without experiencing it, it means nothing. If you have experienced it, you'll understand - why it needs saving and protecting", said Caroline Carr, a local.

Watch this touching video, which illustrates the biodiversity at the Humber Estuary - and shares how wild seagrass is "the unsung hero" of ecosystem restoration efforts. 

Apr 20, 2024

How to Avoid Reaching a Boiling Point

Robert Glazer describes a failure to communicate clear and precise ground rules and boundaries up front around a shared backyard. Fear of confrontation as time went on prevented him from seizing opportunities to clarify intentions and social norms. Consequently, a seemingly simple situation turned into an awkward eruption and ended the possibility of friendship. He cautions that “addressing problems promptly and with candor not only can prevent a boiling point moment, but it also strengthens our relationships and builds trust.” [Read more ...]

Apr 18, 2024

Dr. Ariyaratne: A Legacy of Service and Inspiration (1938-2024)

For more than 60 years, and with a deep spiritual foundation, Dr. Ari dedicated himself to the upliftment of millions of Sri Lankans. Called, "the Gandhi of Sri Lanka", he founded Sarvodaya, a unique non-governmental organization that has mobilized more than 15,000 villages to organize for self-governance. “We build the road, and the road builds us" is Sarvodaya's slogan, a testament to Dr. Ari's practice of treating all as equals.

For a glimpse into Dr. Ari's heart of service, watch the talk he gave during an Awakin Circle.

Apr 17, 2024

Get Your Greens From A Vending Machine That Grows Veggies

An Israeli startup is reimagining the vending machine. The Produce Integrated Cultivation Instrument (PICI) houses small nutrient rich seed pods that can grow a variety of vegetables--reducing food waste and providing a cost effective way to increase access to healthy foods.

Read the full story about this innovation here.

Apr 17, 2024

This week's Awakin reading is by Michael Gordon titled 'Longer Ladders Don't Get You To The Moon':

And we're excited that he'll be at tonight's virtual Awakin Santa Clara Circle. Join here!

Seed questions for reflection: How do you relate to the need for new principles for evolving our economic thinking? Can you share a personal story of a time you discovered new principles to make a non-incremental leap in your endeavor? What helps you listen deeply to discover new principles?